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This week: Review of J.A. Jance's Deadly Stakes Edited by: Vivian  
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I not only write, edit, and publish, I also review books for NovelSpot. J.A. Jance is one of my favorite authors, and she's an online friend, has been for many years. I was honored to meet her in person about seven years ago. I am also honored to received some of her books pre-release so I can review them. Deadly Stakes was sent me in January, before its release in February. After sharing my review with the readers of NovelSpot, I'm glad to share it with you.
What could be better for a newsletter for authors than a review about a book from one of the world's best selling authors?
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Introducing Deadly Stakes by J. A. Jance
I opened the newest J. A. Jance Ali Reynolds novel, ready to crawl between the covers and become part of the story. As usual with any of her works, Deadly Stakes, the eighth in the series, grabbed my attention and kept me awake late, late into the night because I could not put the book down. Ali and her family and friends keep me company with each Jance work.
Jance brings back characters from Left for Dead and weaves them into a new mystery. Lynn Martinson, once the dupe of a cyber-sociopath, has “discovered” a new and happier life, she thinks. However, once her new boyfriend’s ex-wife is discovered murdered, the couple become embroiled as suspects.
Lynn’s mother comes to Ali for help, and Ali works to find the solution so the innocents couple can be freed. Along the way she discovers A.J. Sanders, who actually first discovered the body when he tries to retrieve a mysterious box left him by his estranged father. Another body found in the same location ties A.J. and Lynn closer together than realized.
The touches of romance and family life make the novel more believable than expected. The final scenes with B. and Ali make me want to shout, “Finally!”
Well, done, J.A. You continue to outdo yourself with each manuscript you pen.
I recommend Deadly Stakes for anyone who enjoys good suspense and intrigue. J.A. Jance is at her best, as I say after every Jance novel.
Genre: Suspense
Title: Deadly Stakes
Author: J.A. Jance
Publisher: A Touchstone Book by Simon and Schuster
Copyright: February 1, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4516-2868-5
Series: Ali Reynolds
Publisher URL: http://www.simonandschuster.com
Review © 2012 Vivian Zabel |
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Words from Our Readers
kenkl
Your article deals with a very important aspect of writing. I don't know whether it's just my perception but I often get the feeling that some well-known authors reach a stage where after producing quality writing in a constant stream to meet the demand of their readers and publishers, they often struggle to maintain this and produce "quantity" works instead of quality.Focusing on that balance you mention is very important.
Thanks for dealing with this subject. It's a habit that is sometimes hard to break because of the fear that the reader will not understand what is happening or miss something important about a character. The flip side is perhaps that the author in the quest not to "tell" forgets to "show" properly and loses the reader in the process.
So true.
Ida_Matilda_Wright Help 
I love this page, and I will come back to take more time to review all the great links.
{user:jotokai)}
Show V. Tell comes down to detail. Leave out detail- as with passive voice- only for a reason. One might use passive voice properly when the purpose of the action is to find out who's doing it. "The boy was thrown out of the room in front of me with startling force- could a human do that? I drew my revolver and crossed myself."
Just a suggestion, but why not rewrite the sentence to avoid passive voice? With startling force, the boy exploded out of the room in front of me - could a human throw him like that? I drew ...
WayneThornton
The mirror scene, when it was first used in the Bible and in Shakespeare, was an intelligent and useful method of describing a character to your heart’s content, both physical appearances and it opened the door for thought processes so the reader could get into the characters mind for a short time.
However, in today’s world of almost all avid readers thinking of themselves as potential authors, If you like to gamble, you can use a mirror scene.
To play it safe, avoid mirror scenes at all cost. Why? Like one of my sources mentioned, “wanna be authors who read your story will claim their expertise in writing by condemning you for using a mirror scene. It is their badge of honor to know that mirror scenes are considered trickery by the powers that be in the field of literature.”
Famous published authors can use a mirror scene and get it approved. Unpublished or not-so-famous authors will face an up-hill battle when trying to use a mirror scene.
monty31802
Never too old to learn. Thank you Viv.
Zeke 
Keep in mind that the original storytelling had very little show in it.
Zeke
Ah, but the original storytelling had much showing, but the showing was through the storyteller's expressions, body language, and vocal changes, things which cannot be "shown" through written words. Therefore, writers must use words in such a way that the reader can "see" what happened.
Ida_Matilda_Wright Help
I used to just glance over the news letters. I am ashamed to admit it now. However, I found these newsletters to be a great reviewing tool. No only can I find some great work, I also love to here that some don't even know that they are in the newsletter. They are so happy to find out
Thank you for joining me this issue. If you have suggestions concerning topics you would like to see covered in this newsletter, please let me know.
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For Authors: March 06, 2013 Issue [#5544]
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